Illenium isn't Asian himself, but his EDM sets have become an important community space for young Asian American fans
Illenium performs at Head in the Clouds to a crowd full of fans."I felt so special, to be honest,” he says. “Thank you for my acceptance.”festival. Among the sea of concertgoers, one uniform crops up again and again: black jerseys with white piping, one name splashed across the back —
He wonders if the appeal of his music is in the softness of it, if that sound happened to strike a chord with Asian Americans. It’s true that many popular Asian artists like keshi, Joji, wave to earth, and RINI — all of whom have been major draws at Head in the Clouds — play in the same sonic sphere of airy rumination and heartbreak, which Illenium fans reference again and again as thesound. “I think it’s a mixture of the softer vocals. It’s very pretty and symphonic,” he says.
Fellezs, who is Japanese-Hawaiian, first heard about Illenium through his nieces and nephews, who listen to EDM. Fellezs says there can be a particular appeal for young Asian Americans who feel the diaspora is largely splintered. The label of Asian American is vast and nuanced, with immigration influxes from different communities happening at distinct points in history.
He points out K-pop as one modern genre that is almost entirely associated with Asian people, but the genre itself doesn’t speak directly to the Asian American experience. It’s part of whatand Head in the Clouds attempt to address with a festival lineup of artists that hail from different points of the diaspora.
He adds that he tends to tailor his sound to the audience he has. “When I go to Asia, I definitely play songs like ‘Don’t Let Me Down – Remix’ and ‘Takeaway,’ like a lot of the bigger sing-along stuff. A little less dubstep when I’m in Asia. In America, in New York, I definitely play more head bangers.”
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Asian Americans on TikTok are calling out a 'SoCal Asian' superiority complexDaysia Tolentino is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News.
Read more »
South Asian Actors: Meet The New Wave of South Asian Talent Hitting HollywoodLiz Calvario is a Los Angeles-based reporter and editor for TODAY.com who covers entertainment, pop culture and trending news.
Read more »
'Kick that f**king door down,' VP Harris says during AAPI eventHarris, the first Asian American vice president, spoke about Asian American success and leadership.
Read more »
How Brandon Lee's ‘The Crow’ Stunt Double Became ‘John Wick’s DirectorBrandon Lee in makeup from the Crow next to Keanu Reeves from John Wick
Read more »
How a French Ph.D. dissertation became a Southern California beach readAfter coming to study at UCLA, Paris-born Elsa Devienne spent years working on her book, ‘Sand Rush: The Revival of the Beach in Twentieth-Century Los Angeles.’
Read more »
New Eagle Quinyon Mitchell stayed loyal to Toledo and became a first-round pickThe cornerback Mitchell stuck with the Rockets last summer even as Power Five programs pursued him.
Read more »